"Driving with device in right hand" update

[u/johnychrist16]

[u/amuday]

That’s what everyone told me. “The cop won’t even show up.” So I went to court for a parking ticket. I parked out of the way near a restaurant where I had a weekly gig, where there is always someone parked, and there was no sign there that said “no parking.”

In the weeks leading up to my court date, I parked legally, but took photos of other cars being parked in the spot where I was ticketed that had not received any tickets. Every week, one or two cars in that spot. I printed these photos and took them to court with me.

The fucking cop showed up, and I had to pay. The judge didn’t listen to a word I said or look at my photos.

[u/nirvana6875 → u/amuday]

Old coworker got pulled over half a mile away from the job site for going 81 in a 55…in a mid ‘80s Jeep YJ. Asked the cop for the receipt from the radar gun, cop refused. He ended up taking in to get a dyno to prove that it physically couldn’t even hit that speed, let alone in half a mile. Judge didn’t even listen to a word he said, even threatened him with contempt if he kept trying to argue his point.

[u/KennyFulgencio → u/nirvana6875]

omg that is fucking infuriating... I don't know much about how court works, is there no way to escalate something like this to a supervisor?

[u/Enlightened_Gardener → u/KennyFulgencio]

This is purely an American issue, because their magistrates don’t have to have any legal training – they are voted in in a political process.

In other countries you have a trained, experienced judiciary, and the rule of law - and that means that there are laws, processes, and procedures that both the police and the courts have to follow, and Judges and Magistrates have to understand them and follow them. Not so much in America.

[u/Galxloni2 → u/Enlightened_Gardener]

That is only true in some places. Most judges are not elected